Beth Dobkin, Ph.D
She/Her/Hers
FULL-TIME StaffPresident
President's Office
Phone: 801.832.2553
Email: bdobkin@westminsteru.edu
Office Location: Bamberger Hall
Learn More About BethAbout
Dr. Bethami Dobkin was appointed as the 19th President of Westminster College effective
July 1, 2018. In her first year as president, Westminster University achieved national
recognition for the successful career outcomes of its students, its work on sustainability and support for first-generation students, and as a leader in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. President Dobkin led Westminster College’s transition to becoming Westminster University
in 2023, reflecting the expansion of graduate and professional programs, including
two doctoral programs in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the opening of the Community Clinic and Training Center, which provides free mental health care for the Utah community and valuable supervised
clinical training hours for Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling students. During her tenure, President Dobkin raised over $80 million for Westminster,
with notable capital achievements including the completion of Florence J. Gillmor
Hall and construction of the L.S. Skaggs Integrated Wellness Center. Other landmark achievements of President Dobkin’s tenure include the acquisition
of IPSL Global Engagement and the first-of-its-kind Mountain Sports Initiative, which includes varsity-level athletic support to student-athletes competing on Westminster’s
championship-winning Freeski and Snowboard teams. Notable recognitions awarded to
Westminster University under President Dobkin’s leadership include top rankings from
U.S. News & World Report, which named Westminster a Best College in the West, a Best
Value School, and a Top Undergraduate Nursing Program in 2025; a Carnegie Classification
as “Lower Access, Higher Earnings,” and being ranked #1 by a recent New York Times
study as the top university in Utah for student economic mobility.
President Dobkin’s service includes the American Council on Education’s Council of
Fellows, the Board of Directors for the Salt Lake Chamber, the Board of Governors
and Chair of the Nominations and Governance Committee for the SLC-UT Committee for
the Games, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference President’s Executive Committee,
the Eskuche Foundation, the SLC Board of Governors Workforce Committee, and the International
Women’s Forum. Her publications span academic journals, widely used textbooks, and
popular editorials on politics, journalism, and communication. Prior to her presidency,
Dr. Dobkin served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Saint Mary's
College of California and as a teacher and administrator at the University of San
Diego. She holds a PhD and MA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and
a BA from Cal Poly Humboldt.
Resume or CV
